[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S4741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       TURKEY'S INVASION OF IRAQ

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I commend the Senator from Rhode 
Island for his principled stand on this issue and am pleased to join 
him as an original cosponsor of Senate Resolution No. 91, which 
condemns Turkey's invasion of Iraq.
  On March 20, an estimated 35,000 Turkish troops poured across Iraq's 
northern border in a massive assault on the Kurdish guerrilla group 
known as the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Although Turkish Prime 
Minister Tansu Ciller defended the invasion as a legitimate act of 
self-defense, the nature and extent of Turkey's invasion of northern 
Iraq belie this assertion. Accordingly, this resolution calls on 
President Clinton to express strong opposition to Turkey's invasion and 
to request that the United Nations Security Council condemn the 
invasion and seek an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Turkey's 
forces back to Turkey.
  Turkey's invasion contradicts its obligations under the United 
Nations Charter and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe which oblige Turkey to respect the territorial integrity of 
other states, and to support the human rights, fundamental freedoms, 
and the self-determination of all peoples.
  I and many of my colleagues sympathize with Turkey's struggle to 
defeat the Marxist PKK which has been engaged in a struggle for over a 
decade to establish an independent Kurkish state and has adopted 
terrorism as the principle means toward that end. However, the nature 
and brutality of the tactics Prime Minister Ciller and the military 
have adopted to combat the PKK are unacceptable, counterproductive, and 
unlikely to succeed.
  The invasion, besides violating the fundamentals of international 
law, is likely to exacerbate the conflict rather than calm it. 
Moreover, Turkey's action seriously detracts from its standing in the 
international community. For a nation seeking to convince the world--
and the European Union in particular--that it is committed to 
democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, the invasion 
of Iraq and the ongoing military campaign to eliminate the PKK 
undermine Turkey's commitment to these principles and raises legitimate 
questions about the nature and extent of our relationship with Turkey.
  Turkey, I fear, has fallen victim to the temptation to combat 
terrorism with reciprocal and punitive acts of violence more 
destructive than PKK acts of terrorism. The Turkish military has 
systematically emptied Kurdish villages and uprooted many Kurdish 
citizens from their homes. Human rights organizations have documented 
extensive human rights abuses, including torture and political 
assassination. The military's actions often wreak havoc and destruction 
on innocent Kurds and provide an incentive for Kurds to support the 
PKK.
  I fear that relations between our two nations will deteriorate unless 
Turkey takes demonstrable steps to improve its human rights record, 
abandon the military campaign, and seek alternative solutions to the 
Kurdish problem. Turkey's recognition, that its Kurdish civilians have 
civil, cultural, political, and human rights is an essential first 
step. Failure to recognize these rights would be folly, for it is 
simply inconceivable for Turkey, if it is to remain committed to the 
fundamentals of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human 
rights, to seek a military solution where one-fifth of the Turkish 
population--15 million--is Kurdish.
  Turkey has long been a loyal and trusted allay and a valuable member 
of NATO. Like all nations, Turkey is struggling with the difficult task 
of defining its diplomatic, security, and economic roles in the post-
cold-war era. This task is compounded by the need to combat PKK 
terrorism and the expansion of violent Islamic fundamentalism. However, 
these challenges, difficult though they may be, in no way legitimize 
Turkey's invasion of northern Iraq, and the United States must make it 
clear to Turkey that such behavior is damaging to our relationship and 
inconsistent with the announced goals of democracy, human rights, and 
the rule of law.


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